Arkham is superb

[MOB]

On 3/4/2024 at 2:01 AM, EldorfDragonsbane said:

Yes I know a double post, but would like to draw attention to a very nice "easter egg" location in this edition. Outskits location 109- Herber's Hill, Named after Keith Herber a musician from the late 1800's. I can only assume this is an homage to the late great Keith Herber who gave us the original Arkham Unveiled.

Yes, as @Mike M has noted in his tribute to Keith Herber, published today on the 15th anniversary of his passing:

Quote

In writing and producing the new edition of Arkham Unveiled, now simply called "Arkham,” I felt it was only right to honor Doc within the game’s canon, and so there’s a new entry within—look up location OS109 and you’ll find it. Just my way of thanking Doc and remembering him.

 

Edited March 13 by MOB

[David Scott]

We were at Pickering Psychopathic Hospital last night, visiting Cecil Hunter. Dr Ronayne was very helpful in answering the groups questions, while Jacob (our MU Janitor) took some time to visit his old friend and groundskeeper Eric Sykes. Much hilarity ensued when they recalled their youthful mishap with a plank. (It was fantastic to have all the information at my fingertips and a plan of the hospital.)

Now I just need an Arkham Deck...

[klecser]

On 3/13/2024 at 4:45 AM, Mike M said:

I look forward to hearing all manner of stories from everyone's games set in the legend-haunted town!

I appreciate that you took the time to include "in the future" sections to give Keepers options.

We haven't had an opportunity to play Arkham at the table yet (neither of our current CoC games are nearby - yet), but I did bring the Leatherette to the table. It was fun to watch people pour over it. It induces "careful reads" of people hesitating when they see an entry they really like. The humor injected into the Arkham Advertiser was also appreciated.

I've read about halfway through, and my mind is just abuzz with possibilities, Mike. Congratulations.

Michael

RPG Imaginings

[Mike M]

Many thanks!

[David Scott]

The group found last night's dinner at the Fenner's Roadhouse (oh you've a picture of this place), a much more agreeable affair than at Squatter's Lake Motel. For a start the host, Reg served a fine ginger ale! His wife Mar, was much rattier than usual, but he explained that their waitress Lucy, had just receive the terrible news that her boyfriend Charlie, had unexpectedly died of a heart attack. And they were both having to cover her work as she was so upset. Dr. Smyth a colleague of her late boyfriend (professor Charles Leiter), went out back to the office console her (WHAT you've a map of this place too!). Dr. Smyth was able to secure her a visit to the morgue, arranged by her husband Dr. Chester Armwright who works at the hospital), as Miss Stone wished to say goodbye to her dear Charlie.

My players are impressed that they found the roadhouse on the map, and that I had a picture of it and an interior map.

Question, at the bottom of the Forward on page 9, these's a background image. Is this the Pickering Psychopathic Hospital?

[Mike M]

23 hours ago, David Scott said:

Question, at the bottom of the Forward on page 9, these's a background image. Is this the Pickering Psychopathic Hospital?

Yes it is. 

[hasevir]

Over or below 50% credit rating seems a little rough.

Below 10%? Expect a John Rambo treatment, likely a somewhat polite version as its good times. After 1929-30, much less so with atleast one local banks depositors losing their savings and thus most pensions. On top of a general nasty down turn.

11-24% A legit but rough lower class, know thy place and its all mostly dandy.

25-65% The white picket fence middle class.

Above, wealthy. The owners if you like.

 

Then further considerations. Foreign-type or pseudo foreign like catholics with a slight or bigger negative. Or correspondingly associated with the university. Students while usually effectively in a 0-20% range would as a rule have at least upper middle class if not outright wealthy parents with all the breeding that is supposed to imply, never mind the town lives off the scholary types so better treat them fairly well. So a +20% jump straight there.  Others well known residents or trusted jobs would also enjoy boosts. I guess one should consider sex too, females presumed more virtuous but caught in inappropriate actions.. hit much harder. Boys being boys and some apple stealing and footballs thru windows are expected.

Miskatonic university student body being in its supplement iirc 90% wasp male and 10% wasp female, and a 1% others mostly catholic. Total number of students? 2000? 3000? The more exotic ones would be visiting scholars and professors and very much university associated.

[Bill Mize]

Really looking forward to this being restocked in the US warehouse for a future (near future) purchase!

[AlHazred]

I really like the new Arkham book, and I'm a tough critic being a mega-fan of the original Arkham Unveiled.

I've been looking at the telephone directory in the solo Alone in the Dark, and wondering if anyone's done any work/given any thought to how many places in Arkham have a telephone, and if they have made a directory of this.

Edited May 7 by AlHazred

[AlHazred]

FYI, Alone Against the Dark takes place in 1931, and lists the following Arkham locations as having telephones:

• Arkham Advertiser offices
• Arkham (Boston & Main RR) Depot
• Miskatonic University

EDIT: As a side note, people who want to give telephone numbers for Arkham locations in-game and want to use verisimilitude, you should use (978) 271-xxxx numbers, based on some excellent research by John Singleton. This lends an air of authenticity to some props.

Edited May 8 by AlHazred

[jajagappa]

5 hours ago, AlHazred said:

you should use (978) 271-xxxx numbers

This depends entirely on time period.

No Area Codes (e.g. 978) before 1947. Before then the first two digits would have been an alphabetic Exchange # followed by five digits (hence the alphabetic characters on the rotary dial). [The prop noted has a good example of this: Arkham 1-1893 where the exchange name was Arkham and likely abbreviated as "AR", so AR1-1893.]

Originally all of Eastern Mass including Lovecraft Country was Area Code 617.

Most of Essex County became Area Code 508 in 1988. Area Code 978 came into existence in 1997, but many people in Essex County/Lovecraft Country still have old 508 Area Codes.

Edited May 8 by jajagappa

[Numtini]

26 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

No Area Codes (e.g. 978) before 1947. Before then the first two digits would have been an alphabetic Exchange # followed by five digits (hence the alphabetic characters on the rotary dial). [The prop noted has a good example of this: Arkham 1-1893 where the exchange name was Arkham and likely abbreviated as "AR", so AR1-1893.]

 

I think there should be a space between the AR and 1. Or that's how I've always seen them written. However, you didn't need all those numbers if you were local. Growing up in a decaying Massachusetts mill town in the 1970s, we only needed the 5 digits for local calls and while it wasn't officially supported, you could reach other people in your neighborhood with only four numbers.

[jajagappa]

10 minutes ago, Numtini said:

I think there should be a space between the AR and 1. Or that's how I've always seen them written.

Yes, I think that's correct from a written standpoint. 

5 digits was certainly standard across country for local calls until early 80s. And Area Code was not needed within region until at least 1988 when the # of Area Codes expanded.

[AlHazred]

17 hours ago, jajagappa said:

This depends entirely on time period.

That's covered in John Singleton's article I linked. He also talks ZIP codes, which were implemented in 1963. I was more talking about the timeframe of the Arkham book, which is 1922. EDIT: I was still incorrect, so thanks for the correction.

Edited May 9 by AlHazred